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DIFFICULTIES  OF  MAINTAINING  THE 

DEPARTMENT  OF  SAN  BLAS, 

1775-1777 


BY 


CHARLES  E.  CHAPMAN 


Reprint  from  The  Southwestern  Historical  Quarterly^ 
January,  19 16,  Volume  XIX,  No.  3 


Published  by  the  Texas  State  Historical  Association,  Austin,  Texas 


T"  »  (/a^  ^  -^<  roft  Library 


DIFFICULTIES  OF  MAINTAINING  THE  DEPARTMENT 
OF  SAN  BLAS,  1775-1777 

CHARLES   E.    CHAPMAN 

In  a  recent  article  the  writer  endeavored  to  show  how  important 
the  supply  ships  from  San  Bias  were  in  maintaining  the  early 
Spanish  settlements  of  Alta  California,  and  how  ably  the  viceroy 
of  New  Spain  performed  the  difficult  task  of  getting  supplies  and 
ships  to  the  northern  establishments  in  time  to  prevent  abandon- 
ment of  the  province.^  The  difficulties  of  Viceroy  Bucarely  and 
the  precarious  existence  of  the  new  colonies  will  be  even  better 
understood  w^hen  it  appears  that  maintenance  of  the  Department 
of  San  Bias  was  in  itself  no  small  problem.  The  period  covered 
by  this  article  has  been  selected  because  it  was  long  enough  after 
the  founding  of  the  department  to  avoid  the  effect  of  abnormal 
conditions,  and  also  because  it  was  before  permanence  of  the  Alta 
California  settlements  had  become  assured  by  development  from 
within.  First,  however,  a  review  of  the  department's  history  to 
1775  will  be  attempted.^ 

The  founding  of  the  Department  of  San  Bias  grew  out  of  the 
need  for  a  port  as  a  base  of  supplies  in  conducting  wars  against 
the  Seris  of  Sonora,  but  it  would  seem  to  have  been  associated 
from  the  outset  in  the  mind  of  Visitador  Galvez  with  conquests  in 
the  Californias  as  well.  As  early  as  December,  1767,  we  learn  that 
Galvez  was  ardently  at  work  on  plans  for  formation  of  the  depart- 
ment, having  charged  one  Rivero  with  the  duty  of  establishing  a 
port  there. ^  The  official  objects  of  the  department  are  stated  in 
Viceroy  Croix's  instruction  of  January  11,  1768,  for  settlement 

^Chapman,  "The  Alta  California  Supply  Ships,  1773-76,"  in  The  Quae- 
TERLY,  XIX,  184-94.  "Alta  California"  is  used,  as  also  in  the  present 
article,  for  what  is  now  California  of  the  United  States  to  distinguish 
the  more  clearly  from  Baja  California  of  Mexico,  or  from  "California" 
or  "Californias,"  which  formerly  included  both.  Names  of  individuals 
appearing  in  this  account  have  been  identified  for  the  most  part,  where 
they  were  important  enough  to  require  it,  in  the  above  article. 

*I  have  relied  wholly  on  materials  of  the  Archivo  General  de  Indias 
(A.  G.  I.)  of  Seville,  Spain.  Copies  of  some  of  the  documents  used  are 
now  in  the  Academy  of  Pacific  Coast  History,  Berkeley. 

»Rada  to  Arriaga,  Dec.  27,  1767.     A.  G.  I.,  Estado  And.  Hex.  1,  Doc.  99. 


262  The  Southwestern  Historical  Quarterly 

of  San  Bias.  After  the  measures  necessary  for  pacification  of 
Sonora  and  other  frontier  provinces  should  be  taken,  he  said,  it 
had  been  deemed  indispensable  to  found  a  port  for  the  advantage 
of  boats  employed  on  such  expeditions  and  available  for  commerce 
with  Sonora,  and  for  the  preservation  and  advancement  of  the 
Californias.*  Galvez  proceeded  to  San  Bias  in  May,  1768,  and 
established  the  department.  Whatever  place  the  Sonora  wars  may 
have  had  in  the  original  plans,  the  Department  of  San  Bias  was 
to  serve  primarily  as  a  base  of  supplies  for  maintaining  the  two 
Californias.  The  selection  of  San  Bias  for  this  purpose  was  open 
to  objection,  for  the  port  was  not  a  good  one,  and  the  site  was  un- 
healthful  and  not  suited  to  either  agriculture  or  stock-raising. 

Some  idea  of  the  nature  and  operations  of  the  department  may 
be  gained  by  consulting  the  reglamento^  or  instrument  of  govern- 
ment, for  the  Californias  and  San  Bias  of  the  year  1773.  The 
intimate  relation  of  San  Bias  to  Alta  and  Baja  California  is  to  be 
noted,  for  they  were  regarded  as  essentially  an  unit.  The  prin- 
pical  document  in  the  file  which  was  eventually  to  become  the 
regJamento  (for  no  single  document  was  drawn  up  embodying  the 
results  of  deliberations  to  this  end)  was  a  recommendation  of 
May  19,  1773,  by  Juan  Jose  de  Echeveste,  at  that  time  purchas- 
ing agent  for  the  Californias  in  Mexico  City,  giving  detailed  sug- 
gestions as  to  what  the  reglamenio  should  be.  The  document  be- 
gins with  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  men  and  cost  per  year  of 
each  of  the  Californias  and  San  Bias.  San  Bias  was  considered 
under  three  heads:  the  department  proper;  the  arsenal  or  ship- 
yard; and  the  fleet.  The  following  men  were  needed:  in  the 
department  proper,  a  commissary,  an  accountant  (contador),  a 
paymaster  and  storekeeper,  three  scribes,  an  amanuensis,  a  chap- 
lain, and  a  sacristan;  at  the  shipyard,  a  master-workman  (maestro 
mayor),  a  cooper,  a  rope  maker  (corchador),  and  a  boatswain;  in 
the  fleet:  for  the  frigate,  a  captain  and  pilot,  a  second  pilot,  a 
boatswain,  a  boatswain's  mate,  a  steward,  a  carpenter,  a  calker, 
two  cabin  boys,  six  steersmen,  twenty-seven  ship's  boys  (guru- 
metes),  and  thirty  sailors;  for  each  of  two  packet  boats,  a  cap- 
tain and  pilot,  a  second  pilot,  a  boatswain,  a  boatswain's  mate,  a 
steward,  a  carpenter,  a  calker,  two  cabin  boys,  six  steersmen,  ten 

*A.  G.  I.,  104-6-15. 


Maintaining  the  Department  of  San  Bias,  1775-1777       263 

ship's  boys,  and  sixteen  sailors.  The  annual  cost  of  the  depart- 
ment proper  was  calculated  at  8,691  pesos^  4  tomines  (or  reales); 
6  granos,  including  rations* for  127  men  in  the  Calif ornias ;^  of 
the  shipyard,  at  12,355  pesos,  2  tomines^  6  granos,  mostly  for  re- 
pairs to  ships;  and  of  the  fleet,  at  34,037  pesos,  5  tomines.  Thus 
the  total  cost  for  San  Bias  would  be  over  55,000  pesos  a  year, 
with  only  three  boats  in  service.  As  an  offset,  the  salt  mines  of 
San  Bias  produced  about  25,000  pesos  a  year.  Besides  the  three 
ships  provided  for,  which  were  to  serve  as  supply  ships,  there  were 
two  other  packet  boats,  one  sloop,  and  a  schooner  in  the  depart- 
ment for  which  no  funds  were  assigned.  Echeveste  recommended 
that  very  careful,  detailed  accounts  should  be  kept  at  San  Bias 
of  goods  shipped  to  the  Californias.^  A  junta  de  guerra  y  real 
hacienda  of  July  8,  1773,  sustained  tlie  recommendations  of 
Echeveste  that  have  been  quoted  here,  but  recommended  sale  of 
the  extra  four  ships.  Special  notice  was  also  taken  of  complaints 
received  from  Campo,  an  official  at  San  Bias,  that  there  were  not 
enough  funds  on  hand  even  to  pay  wages  to  the  men,"^  and  the 
necessity  was  recognized  for  early  despatch  of  money  to  San  Bias 
to  cover  expenses  for  the  rest  of  the  year  1773.^  Bucarely's  decree 
of  July  23  amounted  to  an  agreement  with  the  junta  until  the 
king  should  decide  upon  a  new  reglamento.      Bancroft  Lib 

Additional  duties  were  placed  upon  the  department  in  connec- 
tion with  Spanish  voyages  of  exploration  to  the  northwest  to  see 
whether  the  Eussians  had  formed  establishments  upon  American 
soil.  This  called  for  more  ships  and  men  and  officers.  In  a 
letter  of  July  27,  1773,  Bucarely  asked  Arriaga  to  send  some 
naval  officers  from  Spain  for  use  in  the  projected  explorations.^ 
Arriaga's  reply  of  August  24  informed  him  that  six  were  being 
sent.^^     One  voyage  was  made,  however,  before  their  arrival,  that 

''Except  for  four  muleteers  and  the  missionaries  this  number  accounted 
for  the   entire   Spanish  establishments   of  the   Californias. 

«In  Testimonio  del  Reglamento  Provisional,  1773,  A.  G.  I.,  104-6-16, 
Cuad.  2. 

^Campo's  letters,  dated  January  27  and  February  14,  1773,  are  in 
Testimonio  de  las  representaciones  del  Comisionado  de  S.  Bias,  A.  G.  I., 
104-6-16,  Cuad.  5. 

»In  Ihid. 

"•A.  G.  I.,  Estado,  And.  Mex.  \,  Doc.  1. 

Incited  in  Bucarely  to  Arriaga,  Nov.  20,  1773.  A.  G.  I.,  Estado,  Aud. 
Mex.   1,  Doe.  4. 


264  The  SovMwestern  Historical  Quarterly 

of  Perez  in  the  frigate  Santiago  in  1774.  The  burden  placed  upon 
San  Bias  was  a  heavy  one.  Bucarely  expressed  an  opinion  in  his 
July  27  letter  that  voyages  of  exploration  would  cost  less  if  con- 
ducted from  Manila.  Galvez  suggested  to  Arriaga,  December  18, 
1773,  that  the  Manila  galleon  should  be  ordered  to  stop  at  Monterey 
on  its  voyage  to  Acapulco  and  leave  goods  for  Alta  California,  a 
cheaper  method,  he  believed,  than  by  reliance  upon  San  Blas.^^ 
So  great  were  the  financial  burdens  of  San  Bias  that  one  body,  the 
Tribunal  de  Cuentas  (Tribunal  of  Accounts)  of  Mexico  recom- 
mended that  the  department  be  done  away  with.  This  extreme 
view  called  forth  several  protests,  among  others  from  Galvez,  who 
characterized  the  suggestion  as  nonsensical,  saying  that  the  depart- 
ment was  indispensable.^^  One  of  the  problems  in  the  use  of  San 
Bias  was  the  great  cost  and  labor  involved  in  getting  goods  across 
]^ew  Spain  to  that  port,  owing  to  the  width  of  the  viceroyalty  at 
that  point  and  the  difficulty  of  the  route.  It  was  virtually  impos- 
sible to  get  artillery  across  New  Spain  to  San  Bias,  necessitating 
recourse  to  Manila.  This  caused  Bucarely  to  send  one  Agustin 
Crame  to  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  to  see  if  a  route  might  be 
found  for  transportation  of  artillery.  Crame's  expedition  was  a 
complete  success.  Writing  of  it  to  Arriaga,  March  27,  1774» 
Bucarely  remarked  that  the  Tehuantepec  route  might  be  used  for 
transportation  not  only  of  artillery  but  also  of  goods  for  Alta 
California  and  the  ships  employed  in  exploring  voyages.  It  would 
cost  less  to  send  goods  that  way  than  it  did  by  way  of  San  Bias, 
and  would  take  less  time  than  it  would  if  recourse  were  had  to 
Manila.^^  Despite  manifold  objections  to  it,  however,  San  Bias 
was  to  remain  for  many  A^ears  the  seat  of  the  marine  department 
for  the  northern  shores  of  the  Pacific  coast  of  New  Spain.  We 
may  now  proceed  a  little  more  in  detail  to  consider  its  difficulties 
in  the  years  1775-1777. 

The  Perez  voyage  of  1774  to  the  far  northwest  was  followed  by 
voyages  of  Heceta  and  Bodega  in  1775,  while  supply  ships  con- 
tinued as  before  to  visit  Alta  and  Baja  California.  It  had  been 
intended  to  follow  up  the  1775  voyages  to  the  northwest  with 
others,  but  even  before  the  return  of  Heceta  and  Bodega  it  was 

^A.  G.  I.,  104-3-4. 

^-Galvez  to  Arriaga,  March  8,   1774,  A.  G.  I.,   104-6-16. 

"A.  G.  I.,  Estado,  Aud.  Mex.   1,  Doc.  9. 


Maintaining  the  Department  of  San  Bias,  1775-1777       265 

clear  that  there  were  going  to  be  difficulties.  The  Department  of 
San  Bias  had  exhausted  its  funds  and  had  been  obliged  to  borrow 
7,976  pesos  because  of  the  expense  involved  in  fitting  out  the 
1775  voyages.  Bucarely  more  than  made  up  the  deficiency  by 
remitting  20,000  pesos  chargeable  to  explorations.^*  A  more  seri- 
ous difficulty  arose  when  the  port  of  San  Bias  began  to  fill  in. 
Bucarely  referred  to  this  in  a  letter  to  Arriaga  of  June  26,  1775. 
The  department  might  have  to  be  moved  to  another  port,  he  said.^* 
On  August  27,  he  wrote  two  letters  to  Arriaga  on  this  subject. 
In  one,  he  said  that  he  had  directed  Miguel  de  Corral,  a  lieutenant 
colonel  of  engineers,  to  make  soundings  of  San  Bias  and  other 
ports  in  the  vicinity.^^  In  the  other,  he  said  that  he  was  suspend- 
ing decision  about  removal  of  the  department  from  San  Bias, 
until  he  should  hear  whether  any  Russian  establishments  had  been 
found  upon  the  northwest  coasts,  in  which  case  he  implied  that 
a  better  port  than  San  Bias  would  be  necessary.  If  no  more  should 
be  required  than  to  send  supplies  to  Alta  California,  San  Bias 
would  answer  the  purpose.^^  The  scant  depth  of  the  port  of 
San  Bias  continued  to  give  trouble,  however.  On  July  27,  1776, 
we  find  Bucarely  writing  to  Galvez,  who  had  become  ministro 
general  de  Indias  upon  the  death  of  Arriaga,  of  measures  that 
had  been  taken  in  view  of  the  filling  in  of  San  Bias.  The  nearby 
ports  of  Chacala  and  Matanchel  had  been  explored,  and  there  was 
something  to  be  said  in  favor  of  moving  the  department  to  one 
or  the  other.  Barring  urgent  necessity,  however,  no  such  course 
should  be  taken,  for  if  discoveries  in  the  northwest  were  to  be 
continued,  either  San  Francisco,  Alta  California,  or  Trinidad, 
Guatemala,  would  be  a  better  site  for  a  marine  department.^^ 
Galvez's  reply  of  January  9,  1777,  gave  orders  to  continue  the 
department  at  San  Bias  until  its  port  should  become  wholly  use- 
less, and  then  to  move  it  temporarily  to  Acapulco.  Ultimately,  it 
might  be  established  in  some  good  port  of  Alta  California.^* 
Xone  of  tbese  plans  for  a  change  of  site  matured. 

"Bucarely  to  Arriaga,  May  27,  1775.     A.  G.  I.,  104-6-16. 
^=A.  G.  I.,  104-6-16. 
"A.  G.  I.,,  104-6-17. 

"A.    G.   T.,    104-5-24.     Trinidad  was   suggested,    it   would   seem,   because 
more  accessible  by  land  from  the  Atlantic  coast  than  was  San  Bias. 
^^A.  G.  I.,  104-5-24. 


266  The  Southwestern  Historical  Quarterly 

One  of  the  greatest  difficulties  that  the  department  had  to  en- 
counter arose  from  lack  of  boats  enough  with  which  to  carry  on 
its  duties,  despite  the  fact  that  there  were  five  boats  in  the  de- 
partment in  1776.  Several  factors  arose  in  that  year  to  com- 
plicate this  problem.  Orders  had  been  received  for  fresh  voy- 
ages of  discovery  to  the  northwest  to  be  made  in  the  year  1777; 
Alta  California  had  developed  to  such  a  point  that  more  supplies 
were. needed  than  formerly;  and  finally,  Bucarely's  fiscal^  Areche, 
had  been  named  visitador  to  Peru,  and  must  needs  have  a  ship 
for  the  journey  to  Peru.  As  the  writer  has  already  indicated  in 
a  former  article  much  that  was  done  to  solve  this  question,^^  little 
need  be  added  here.  Bucarely  recommended  that  two  new  frigates 
be  built  in  Peru.^^  Galvez  informed  Bucarely,  December  24, 
1776,  that  he  approved  of  the  suggestion,22  and  on  the  same  day 
gave  orders  to  the  viceroy  of  Peru  to  construct  promptly  two  good 
frigates  for  use  in  explorations. ^^  The  chance  arrival  of  a  mer- 
chant ship  at  Acapulco  permitted  of  Areche's  going  to  Peru  in 
that.  Bucarely  wrote  to  Galvez,  December  27,  1776,  that  he  was 
also  sending  Bodega,  a  naval  officer  of  San  Bias,  to  Peru  to  see 
if  he  might  purchase  a  frigate  there.^*  Galvez  approved,^^  and 
gave  orders  to  the  viceroy  of  Peru  that  only  one  frigate  needed  to 
be  built  for  Bucarely,  if  Bodega  should  succeed  in  purchasing  a 
frigate.-^  This  matter  need  not  be  pursued.  The  voyages  of 
exploration  were  officially  postponed  to  December,  1778.  One 
boat  was  procured  in  Peru,  and  another  built  at  San  Bias,  and 
they  left   San  Bias  for  the  northwest  coast  in   February,   1779. 

It  may  be  wondered  w^hy  the  ships  were  not  built  at  San  Bias 
in  the  first  place.  One  reason  why  they  were  not  was  the  inability 
of  the  department  to  procure  ordinary  manufactured  articles  of 
which  it  stood  in  need,  such  as  iron,  tools,  artillery,  canvas,  and 
tackle.  In  a  letter  of  August  27,  1775,  Bucarely  asked  of  Arriaga 
that  a  supply  of  iron  and  tools  be  shipped  from  Spain  to  Vera  Cruz 

^"'Article  cited  in  note  1,  at  pp.   191-94. 

^Bucarely  to  Galvez,  Sept.  26,  1776.     A.  G.  L,  104-6-17. 

"A.  G.  I.,   104-6-17. 

^*A.  G.  I.,  104-6-18. 

-"Galvez  to  Bucarely,  March   19,   1777.     A.  G.  I.,  104-6-18. 

^'^Gftlvez  to  the  viceroy  of  Peru,  March  19,  1777.     A.  G.  I.,  104-6-18. 


Maintaining  the  Department  of  San  Bias,  1775-1777       267 

for  use  at  San  Bias.  He  had  already  asked  for  a  supply  of  the 
other  effects  from  Havana,  he  said.^^  In  a  letter  of  September  26 
he  asked  for  2,500  binding  plates  (planchuelas)  for  use  in  making 
water-barrels  for  the  San  Bias  ships. ^®  Grimaldi,  acting  for  Ar- 
riaga,  who  was  sick,  gave  orders  that  the  iron  and  other  effects 
from  Spain  be  assembled  at  Cadiz  for  shipment  to  Vera  Crnz,^^ 
and  that  the  materials  sought  from  Havana  be  shipped  from 
there  as  soon  as  possible. ^^  On  the  same  day,  December  22,  1775, 
he  wrote  to  Bucarely  reciting  what  he  had  done.^^  There  was  a 
comparatively  prompt  response  to  the  orders  as  regards  effects 
sought  in  Spain.  On  April  9,  1776,  Euiz  informed  Galvez  that 
they  had  been  sent  to  Vera  Cruz.^^  Articles  sought  in  Havana, 
however,  were  not  forthcoming.  On  October  21,  1776,  Bonet,  the 
naval  commander  at  Havana,  wrote  to  Castejon,  of  the  ministry 
of  marine  in  Spain,  that  it  was  in  the  interests  of  the  service  that 
the  effects  desired  for  San  Bias  be  procured  in  Peru  rather  than 
at  Havana.^^  Castejon  addressed  Galvez  about  the  matter  on 
December  31,^'*  and  the  latter  wrote  to  Bucarely^^  and  to  the  vice- 
roy of  Peru"^  on  January  4,  1777,  to  see  if  they  might  arrange 
as  Bonet  had  suggested.  Bucarely  replied,  April  26,  1777,  that 
he  had  written  to  the  viceroy  of  Peru,  remarking  also  that  it 
would  be  less  expensive  if  the  goods  could  be  procured  in  that  vice- 
royalty.^^  Nearly  two  years  had  passed  since  he  first  asked  for 
them,  and  they  seemed  to  be  no  nearer  arrival  than  ever. 

Added  to  these  other  lacks  at  San  Bias  that  have  been  mentioned, 
there  was  also  a  lack  of  the  men  required  for  operation  of  the 
department.  A  letter  from  two  officers  of  San  Bias,  Diego  Cho- 
quet  de  la  Isla  and  Juan  de  la  Bodega  y  Cuadra,  to  Antonio 
Eeggio  of  Isla  de  Leon,  Spain,  dated  February  13,  1775,  recited 
some  of  the  needs  of  San  Bias  in  this  respect,  telling  also  of  the 

'■''A.  G.  I.,  104-6-17.     He  enclosed  a  detailed  list  of  the  effects  needed. 

^'^A.  G.  I.,  104-6-17. 

^^Grimaldi  to  Felipe  Ruiz,  Dec.  22,   1775.     A.  G.  I.,  104-6-17. 

^^Grimaldi  to  Macuriges,  Dec.  22,  1775.     A.  G.  I.,  104-6-17. 

^^A.  G.  I.,  104-6-17. 

''A.  G.  I.,  104-6-18. 
^'Ihid.  ^UUd. 

^'Ihid. 
^Ubid. 


268  The  Southwestern  Historical  Quarterly 

iinhealthfulness  of  the  site  and  disorderliness  of  ships'  erews.^^ 
The  letter  was  forwarded  to  Arriaga,^''  who  wrote  to  Bucarely  on 
N'ovember  3,  1775,  requiring  him  to  provide  San  Bias  with  a 
surgeon  and  a  chaplain,  both  of  which  were  lacking  at  the  time, 
and  to  send  soldiers  enough  to  compel  crews  to  observe  a  proper 
respect  for  authority.*^  In  a  letter  of  February  25,  1776,  Bu- 
carely spoke  of  a  need  for  carpenters,  pilots,  and  a  calker  at  San 
Blas.*^  Galvez  seems  to  have  taken  up  the  matter  with  Caste j on, 
for  the  latter  wrote  to  him  on  June  14  that  two  pilots,  two  car- 
penters, and  one  calker  would  be  supplied  for  use  at  San  Blas.*^ 
Francisco  Manxon  of  the  Casa  de  Contratacion  wrote  to  Galvez 
from  Cadiz  on  July  5  that  he  was  awaiting  orders  to  send  the 
calker  and  carpenters,  but  that  the  two  pilots  had  not  yet  put  in 
an  appearance.^^  Galvez  replied,  July  12,  that  these  men  and 
the  pilots  should  be  sent  at  government  expense  on  the  first  boat 
from  Cadiz,**  and  on  the  same  day  he  wrote  to  Bucarely  of  the 
orders  that  he  had  given.*^ 

It  had  been  contemplated  that  boats  for  the  department  should 
be  built  in  the  shipyard  of  San  Bias  itself.  If  there  were  to  be 
boats,  however,  there  had  to  be  men  who  knew  how  to  build  them. 
Bucarely  wrote  to  Galvez  on  ]!^ovember  26,  1776,  stating  that  a 
shipbuilder,  boatswain,  and  other  shipyard  employees  were  needed 
at  San  Bias.  He  was  seeking  a  builder  in  Havana,  but  wanted 
one  from  Spain  if  he  could  not  get  one  in  Cuba.*^  On  December 
27,  he  wrote  that  Goya  of  San  Bias  had  asked  for  eighty  sailors, 
two  boatswains,  twelve  shipyard  employees,  four  phlebotomists, 
two  light-tenders  {faroleros)^  and  two  armorers.  Bucarely  had 
ordered  fifty  sailors,  a  boatswain,  and  twelve  shipyard  employees 
sent  there,  and  had  told  Goya  to  try  in  future  to  recruit  men 
from  the  neighborhood.*^     By  February  24  he  was  able  to  inform 


G.  L,   104-6-18. 


'^Ihid. 

""Reggio  to  Arriaga,   Sept.  26,   1775. 

A. 

*<»A.  G.  I.,   104-6-18. 

«A.   G.  I.,   104-6-17. 

^'Ihid. 

nud. 

^lUd. 

*^lhid. 

*«A.   G.  I.,    104-6-18. 

"lUd. 

Maintaining  the  Department  of  San  Bias,  1775-1777       269 

Galvez  that  he  had  procured  twelve  shipyard  employees  in  Vera 
Cniz.^^  Bonet  was  unable  to  find  a  ship-builder  in  Havana/® 
but  Galvez  wrote  to  Bucarely  on  February  15  that  a  ship-builder 
would  be  supplied.^^  He  took  the  matter  up  with  Castejon,  who 
replied  on  April  20  that  Jose  Chenard  had  been  designated  to  go/^ 
and  Galvez  sent  a  letter  next  day  to  Bucarely  to  that  effect.^^ 
Bucarely  wrote  at  length,  May  27,  1777,  reiterating  the  need  for 
a  ship-builder,^^  for  it  was  not  until  July  that  he  learned  of  the 
destination  of  Chenard.^*  Chenard  did  not  go  to  Mexico,  how- 
ever. On  October  22  Castejon  informed  Galvez  that  Chenard  was 
unable  to  go,  and  asked  if  there  was  still  need  for  a  ship-builder 
at  San  Blas/"^^  Galvez  replied  on  October  27  that  the  king  de- 
sired that  such  a  man  be  sent,^^  whereupon  Castejon  notified 
Galvez  on  November  22  that  Francisco  Segurola  had  been  appointed 
to  go.^'^  Galvez  sent  word  to  Bucarely  to  that  effect  the  follow- 
ing day,^*  giving  orders  at  the  same  time  to  one  Francisco  Eabago 
of  Coruiia  to  send  Segurola  by  the  next  boat.^®  This  arrangement 
did  not  please  Segurola,  who  wrote  to  Galvez  on  the  30th  that  his 
precipitate  departure  would  compel  him  to  abandon  his  family.®^ 
Segurola^s  wishes  seem  not  to  have  been  considered,  however,  for 
we  find  a  petition  of  Antonio  de  la  Cuesta,  dated  December  13, 
1777,  asking  that  Segurola's  son  Eamon  be  allowed  to  take  the 
next  boat  to  Havana,  so  as  to  join  his  father  there,^^  a  request 
which  was  granted  through  Galvez's  letter  of  the  23d  to  Eabago. ^^ 
The  above  review  is  enough  to  give  an  idea  of  the  difficulties 

*»Bonet   to   Galvez,  Jan.   31,   1777.     A.   G.   I.,   104-6-18. 
^"A.  G.  L,   104-6-18. 

''Ibid. 

^niid. 

"Bucarely  to  Galvez,  July  27,  1777.     A.  G.  I.,  104-6-18. 

^^A.  G.  I.,  104-6-18. 

nUd. 

'"UUd. 

''Ihid. 

'''Ibid. 

nud, 

'^Ihid. 
''Ibid. 


270  The  Southwestern  Hisiorical  Qiiarterly 

experienced  by  the  Department  of  San  Bias.  Buearely  did  all 
that  he  could  to  repair  the  deficiencies,  but  delays  were  unavoid- 
able, for  the  things  wanted  were  not  always  at  hand  or  readily 
assembled.  Yet  with  this  lame  equipment  he  had  been  able  to 
sustain  and  develop  the  California s  and  to  carry  on  the  exploring 
voyages  to  the  northwest  coasts. 


JAN  12  1917 


